Easter Dinner

We had a great time with Dave, Julie, Berit and young Anders over the weekend. We watched Berit take a few "runs" down the magic carpet at Copper then went and saw the Easter Bunny and gather some eggs. Berit was very entranced with Mr. Bunny!!

Dinner was great. We all chipped in and created a memorable meal. Katie and John brought these delicious green beans. (I need to get the recipe for these!). I also need to get the recipe for the grilled Tempeh that Dave made. It was really good.

Dave and I made the following:

Fresh Spinach-Artichoke Baked Dip
courtsey of deliciousliving
(this is Dave and Julies recipe but I just had to make it!) It is a healthy version and I think its better then the one my mom makes!! Sorry mom! I made some slight modifications so this is my rendition.

1 C nonfat plain greek yogurt (and didn't strain it because I forgot!)
10 oz of frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry
1/2 C grated parm
1/2 shredded part-skim mozzarella
2 T reduced fat mayo
2 garlic gloves
1/2 t freshly ground pepper
1/2 t kosher salt
1 t hot sauce
1 14 oz can of quartered artichokes drained
2 T grated parm

Place all the ingredients in the food processor except for the artichokes. Process until coarsely blended. Add half the artichokes and pulse until incorporated. Mix in the rest of the artichokes and place in a baking dish. Sprinkle with 2 T of parm and bake at 350 until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.


Savory Bread Pudding with Spinach and Mushrooms
courtsey of EatingWell
Man, this was really good! I love this magazine and haven't made one recipe that we don't like.

4 large eggs
2 C low-fat milk
1/2 t hot sauce
3/4 t salt divided
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper ,divided
3 1/2 cups cubed stale whole-wheat country bread
1 10-ounce package frozen spinach
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onion (1 medium)
1 cup chopped red bell pepper (1 small)
4 cups sliced mushrooms (12 ounces)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup grated Gruyère, Emmentaler or Manchego cheese (3 ounces), divided

1. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add milk, hot sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; whisk until blended. Add bread and stir to coat well. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat an 8-by-8-inch (or similar 8-cup) ceramic or glass baking dish with cooking spray. Put a kettle of water on to boil for the water bath.
3. Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain, refresh with cold water and squeeze out excess moisture. Set aside.
4. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion and bell pepper; cook, stirring often, until tender and golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Add mushrooms and garlic; stir to blend. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and increase heat to medium. Cook, stirring, until any excess moisture from the mushrooms has evaporated and mushrooms begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring, 2 minutes.
5. Add the mushroom mixture and 1/2 cup cheese to the egg mixture; stir until blended. Scrape into the prepared baking dish; sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup cheese evenly over the top. Place the baking dish in a larger pan, put in the oven and pour boiling water into the larger pan to about halfway up the sides of the baking dish. Bake until the pudding is set in the center, 50 to 60 minutes. Let cool slightly; serve hot or warm.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 286 calories; 14 g fat (6 g sat, 5 g mono); 166 mg cholesterol; 24 g carbohydrate; 19 g protein; 4 g fiber; 572 mg sodium; 572 mg potassium.

Minted Peas & Rice with Feta
courtsey of EatingWell

1 1/4 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup instant brown rice
1 1/2 cups frozen peas (6 ounces)
3/4 cup sliced scallions
1/4 cup finely crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup sliced fresh mint
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Bring broth to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add rice and bring to a simmer; cover, reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 4 minutes. Stir in peas and return to a simmer over high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the peas are hot and the rice has absorbed most of the liquid, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in scallions, feta, mint and pepper. Cover and let stand until the liquid is absorbed, 3 to 5 minutes.

NUTRITION INFORMATION: Per serving: 134 calories; 3 g fat (1 g sat, 0 g mono); 8 mg cholesterol; 22 g carbohydrate; 7 g protein; 4 g fiber; 321 mg sodium; 203 mg potassium.

Spicy Turkey Burgers

These may have hit the top of the list. I couldn't believe how good these were. Wow. I can't wait to eat the ones we froze! The pickles really made the burger so don't omit. We didn't add anything else to these. We even used the touch of mayo. No need for katchup or mustard, lettice or tomato. This recipe is from EatingWell.

Pickled Onions
1 cup red-wine vinegar
2 tablespoons packed brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 small red onion, halved and very thinly sliced

Burgers
1 pound 93%-lean ground turkey
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground chipotle pepper (used chilli pepper)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice1 teaspoon canola oil
4 whole-wheat buns, split
8 teaspoons reduced-fat mayonnaise

1. To prepare pickled onions: Whisk vinegar, brown sugar, salt and allspice in a medium glass bowl. Cover and microwave on High until the mixture boils, 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, bring the mixture to a boil in a small saucepan on the stove.) Add onion and toss to coat.

2. To prepare burgers: Preheat grill to high. Place turkey in a medium bowl and gently mix in cilantro, cumin, ground chipotle, salt and allspice until distributed throughout the meat. Form the mixture into 4 patties. Brush with oil. 3. Grill the burgers until cooked through and no longer pink in the center, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Toast buns on the grill, if desired.4. Drain the onion, discarding the marinade. Spread 2 teaspoons mayonnaise on each bun; top with a burger and pickled onions.

Farfalle with beets and pine nuts

This was really good! I found my inspiration in the February Bonappetit "Going Green" issue. I obviously made my own recipe from this!

Farfalle with Beets and Pine Nuts

1/4 C pine nuts
4 T evoo, divided
1 large onion sliced
3 garlic cloves mined
1 can of red beets (the original recipe calls for fresh golden beets)\
12 ounces farfalle
1/4 C grated parm

Heat heavy skillet over medium heat and lightly toast pine nuts. Transfer to a small bowl. Add 2 T of evoo and onions to same skillet and cook over medium heat until tender and lightly browned. Add garlic and stir two minutes. Cook pasta according to package. Quarter beets and add to skillet. Drain pasta, reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Stir onion mixture into pasta add enough reserved water to moisten. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Stir parm and serve. Sprinkle pine nuts.